Aircraft recording system, device, and method responsive to a new command not stated in a flight plan

• US 9,534,922 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: McCusker, Patrick D., Barber, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEINMAN, LAIL A
• Application Number:
  US13/625,979
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for recording a modification of an existing route plan are disclosed. The disclosed system may be comprised of a flight management system (“FMS”), at least one human-machine interface (“HMI”) device, at least one display unit, and a route modification generator (“RMG”). The disclosed device may be comprised of the RMG configured to perform the disclosed method, where such method may be comprised of receiving a request to modify an existing route plan; retrieving the route plan from the FMS; generating a message data set representative of one or more pre-formatted messages having one or more visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable fields; updating the message data set in response to a user'"'"'s selection of each field; sending the updated data set to the display unit; receiving a pilot'"'"'s authorization to modify the route plan, and sending the accepted, modified flight plan to the FMS.

Claims

1. A system for recording at least one command not stated in an approved flight plan, comprising:

a route management system;

at least one display unit configured to display an image divided into a plurality of visible windows and within which at least one of a horizontal situation display (“

HSD”

) image and a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

) image, where

the HSD image of a first lateral profile of ownship and an approved flight plan stating at least a waypoint, command, and altitude is presented within a first window, and

the VSD image of a first vertical profile of ownship, an altitude scale, and the approved flight plan is presented within a second window different from the first window, where

the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile include at least one graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) representing at least one waypoint;

at least one human-machine interface (“

HMI”

) device configured to;

receive input data representative of a user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan by a user selecting one GUI representing at least one waypoint of the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile, and

provide the input data to an avionics route modification device; and

the avionics route modification device configured to;

receive the input data;

retrieve flight management data representative of the approved flight plan;

generate a message data set representative of at least one pre-formatted message overlying the at least one of the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile in response to the receiving the input data, where

the at least one pre-formatted message includes within the message at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field within which at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan is visible to the user;

receive command data representative of at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan from a user'"'"'s interaction with at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field;

send the command data to the route management system, such that

the presentation of the at least one of the HSD image and the VSD image includes

a second lateral profile and a second vertical profile, respectively, incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data, where

the at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented simultaneously with the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile, respectively, and

a message incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data and at least one user-interactive field through which a user'"'"'s acceptance of a modification to the approved flight plan is made;

receive acceptance data representative of the user'"'"'s acceptance; and

send the acceptance data to the route management system, whereby

the approved flight plan is modified, and

at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented in the HSD image and the VSD image, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one HMI device is comprised of a tactile input device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one HMI device is comprised of a voice input device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the route management system is comprised of a flight management system, and

the avionics route modification device is a component of the flight management system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the avionics route modification device is a component of a portable electronic device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the retrieval of the flight management data and the sending of the data representative of the accepted, modified route plan is performed via a Wi-Fi network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan is made in response to a request to modify the approved flight plan is received from air traffic control.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is comprised of a GUI.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon a proximity to at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.

11. A device for recording at least one command not stated in an approved flight plan, comprising:

an avionics route modification device configured to;

receive input data, where

an image displayable on at least one display unit is divided into a plurality of visible windows and within which at least one of a horizontal situation display (“

HSD”

) image and a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

) image, where

the HSD image of a first lateral profile of ownship and an approved flight plan stating at least a waypoint, command, and altitude is presented within a first window, and

the VSD image of a first vertical profile of ownship, an altitude scale, and the approved flight plan is presented within a second window different from the first window, where

the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile include at least one graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) representing at least one waypoint, and

the input data is representative of a user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan by a user selecting one GUI representing at least one waypoint of the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile;

retrieve flight management data representative of the approved flight plan;

generate a message data set representative of at least one pre-formatted message overlying the at least one of the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile in response to the receiving the input data, where

the at least one pre-formatted message includes within the message at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field within which at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan is visible to the user;

receive command data representative of at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan from a user'"'"'s interaction with at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field;

send the command data to the route management system, such that

the presentation of the at least one of the HSD image and the VSD image includes

a second lateral profile and a second vertical profile, respectively, incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data, where

the at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented simultaneously with the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile, respectively, and

a message incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data and at least one user-interactive field through which a user'"'"'s acceptance of a modification to the approved flight plan is made;

receive acceptance data representative of the user'"'"'s acceptance; and

send the acceptance data to the route management system, whereby

the approved flight plan is modified, and

at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented in the HSD image and the VSD image, respectively.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan is made in response to a request to modify the approved flight plan is received from air traffic control.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is comprised of a GUI.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon a proximity to at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.

16. A method for recording at least one command not stated in an approved flight plan, comprising:

performing the following elements, where such elements are performed by an avionics route modification device;

receiving input data, where

an image displayable on at least one display unit is divided into a plurality of visible windows and within which at least one of a horizontal situation display (“

HSD”

) image and a vertical situation display (“

VSD”

) image, where

the HSD image of a first lateral profile of ownship and an approved flight plan stating at least a waypoint, command, and altitude is presented within a first window, and

the VSD image of a first vertical profile of ownship, an altitude scale, and the approved flight plan is presented within a second window different from the first window, where

the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile include at least one graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) representing at least one waypoint, and

the input data is representative of a user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan by a user selecting one GUI representing at least one waypoint of the HSD image of the first lateral profile and the VSD image of the first vertical profile;

retrieving flight management data representative of the approved flight plan;

generating a message data set representative of at least one pre-formatted message overlying the at least one of the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile in response to the receiving the input data, where

the at least one pre-formatted message includes within the message at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field within which at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan is visible to the user;

receiving command data representative of at least one command not stated in the approved flight plan from a user'"'"'s interaction with at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field;

sending the command data to a route management system, such that

the presentation of the at least one of the HSD image and the VSD image includes

a second lateral profile and a second vertical profile, respectively, incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data, where

the at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented simultaneously with the first lateral profile and the first vertical profile, respectively, and

a message incorporating the at least one command represented in the command data and at least one user-interactive field through which a user'"'"'s acceptance of a modification to the approved flight plan is made;

receiving acceptance data representative of the user'"'"'s acceptance; and

sending the acceptance data to the route management system, whereby

the approved flight plan is modified, and

at least one of the second lateral profile and the second vertical profile is presented in the HSD image and the VSD image, respectively.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user'"'"'s request to modify the approved flight plan is made in response to a request to modify the approved flight plan is received from air traffic control.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is comprised of a GUI.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the content of the at least one visually-conspicuous, user-interactive variable field is based upon a proximity to at least one waypoint of the approved flight plan.